The Boy on the Beach

by Niki Daly

On a hot summer day, a young boy walks down the beach and finds a small boat sitting lonely on the sands, which sparks his imagination as he dreams of being the captain of the ship that sails to exotic and distant lands.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Summer, Adventure

Hardcover

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Nicholas "Niki" Daly, South African illustrator and children's book author.

http://www.childlit.org.za/ndaly.html

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Beautiful Summertime Storybook for children.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one better because I've liked other Niki Daly books and the illustrations are fun, plus it stars a family of color which is not always easy to find, but I couldn't quite get into the story. Ladybug Girl has a similar adventure that was handled much better; this one didn't linger on each emotional state so it was hard to process the frenetic pace, and the boy wanders off alone and gets lost and hurt without either of the parents seeming to mind.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite stories to share with children for summer story time! My daycare groups visited our local beach every summer and this story either got them excited about visiting the beach, or got them sharing stories about their visit to the beach! Lovely story of a young boy visiting the beach with his parents, his fearing the big waves and running off to play in the sand, his adventures include an adventure with an old row boat next to the life guards chair, which leads to some drama the kids were always interested in hearing about- getting "lost", and getting found by the life guard! Kids! Illustrations are wonderful and used to make me long for a day at the beach myself! Wonderful summer tale! I just ordered a copy for my own home library to share with kids who visit my home.

[Kacee Eddinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is incredibly charming and a little dated. I thought it was a sweet story through out of a little boy's day at the beach.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and my 2yo daughter really likes it especially as she wasn't keen on the sea when we visited the beach this summer.

[Issy Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a boy who excitedly goes for a trip to the beach with his family.

[Lea Kielsholm · Rating 3 out of 5]

En sydafrikansk bog til ret små børn. Historien er simpel, så simpel og hurtig at man næsten ikke når at få fat i hvad der foregår. Men den er udmærket.

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and clever beach story

[Barbara Band · Rating 5 out of 5]

A boy goes to the beach with his parents and wanders off to explore, climbing amongst the sand dunes and imaging storms at sea when he discovers a half-buried boat. When he gets lost, the lifeguard takes him to the "lost and found" point where his parents are waiting for him.

Wonderfully evocative illustrations that bring to mind long hot days at the seaside, beaches full of people sunbathing and swimming, the pleasure of a cold ice-cream …

Illustrations are double pages which really gives the impression of wide open spaces. Lots of detail to explore. BAME characters. Families. Beaches. Seaside. Getting lost. Imaginary play. Being scared. Who to ask for help.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boy spends the day at the crowded beach with his mom and dad in this exuberant book. Together they explore and splash. The little boy runs ahead and discovers a boat in a sandy ditch. Suddenly, he feels lost and alone until a lifeguard comes to the rescue. Beautifully detailed watercolor illustrations and energetic text. This book brought back so many memories of times at the beach. Playful and expressive, this story is a delightful reflection of sunny family fun.

[Rachel Rouleau · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice summertime story. But I would not have been so relaxed about my kid wandering off on the beach. I think most parents would've freaked. Definitely no king-size Twister for my kid if she did that.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

beach, family, getting lost, lifeguard

[Dom Conlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and a lovely story of isolation.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy's adventures at the beach with his parents are simply, but interestingly told in this story.

Lovely, dreamy kind of illustrations.